Askren: MMA Requires Fighters to Develop Skills Beyond Their Base

Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight titleholder
Ben
Askren does not want to be viewed as a wrestler who is afraid
to leave his comfort zone. He recognizes that many of his peers
have relied too heavily on their base skill and have suffered as a
result. In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Askren discussed
the importance of developing one’s secondary skills:

“Jon
Fitch wasn’t a great college wrestler by any means, and he has
made it far in mixed martial arts. At some point, he had to leave
his comfort zone to get to where he is. I watch a guy like Jake
Rosholt; he was a three-time NCAA champion. In his losses in
the UFC, he tapped so fast. Honestly, if you put me in a triangle,
I’m going to fight you for a minute -- minimum. He looked very
uncomfortable still in the standup. Then he got [Matt
Horwich] to the ground but didn’t get on top of him. He’s a
wrestler, but he doesn’t look comfortable standing and doesn’t look
comfortable on the ground. What is he comfortable with? I think you
see wrestlers stuck in that box, but it’s not just wrestlers; it’s
everyone. You see jiu-jitsu guys who just want to grapple and you
see boxers who just want to box.”